“Maitake” means dancing mushroom in Japanese. The mushroom is said to have gotten its name after people danced with happiness upon finding it in the wild, such are its incredible healing properties. This mushroom is a type of adaptogen. Adaptogens assist the body in fighting against any type of mental or physical difficulty.
Another thing we wondered was; what is maitake mushroom?
I found the answer is maitake ( Grifola frondose ) is a type of mushroom. It forms large clumps on tree stumps and tree roots. It was first used in Asian traditional medicine. Maitake mushroom grows in forests in Asia, Europe, and eastern North America.
One query we ran across in our research was “What are the health benefits of maitake D-fraction?”.
A 2013 study indicates that maitake D-Fraction could be useful in preventing and treating breast cancer . Researchers suggest that this mushroom can fight the growth and reproduction of cancerous cells.
This of course begs the inquiry “What is the size of a maitake cap?”
I can see if we can figure it out. each cap can be between 3/4s of an inch (2 cm) and 3 inches (8 cm) across, and about a quarter-inch in thickness. Maitake are most commonly found around the base of oak tree stumps, or at the base of dead or dying trees. They are most commonly found in Japan, China, and the northeastern United States and Canada.
Do you have to rehydrate maitake mushrooms before cooking?
If the mushrooms do dry out a bit they are still fine to prepare. On the other hand, dried maitake need to be rehydrated before use . The unused dry mushrooms can be kept in a sealed, air-tight container until ready to cook with.
What does Maitake Grifola mean?
The scientific name Grifola frondosa is derived from the griffin, the beast from Greek mythology with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, and frondosa, meaning leaflike . Maitake is growing wild in north eastern Japan and in temperate forests of Asia, Europe, and eastern North America.
Grifola frondosa, sometimes called the ” hen of the woods ” and the “maitake,” is a soft-fleshed polypore recognized by its smoky brown, wavy caps, which are organized in large clusters of rosettes arising from a single, branched stem structure.
You could be thinking “What is Grifola frondosa?”
Some have found that grifola frondosa is a mushroom “Hui, shu Hua” native to China, discovered by an Italian, also called maitake in Japan.
Maitake beta glucan?
One of the reasons that Maitake Mushrooms are thought of as having health benefits is Beta Glucan. This compound found in Maitake Mushrooms is a type of fiber often found in yeast, algae, mushrooms, and other bacteria. One of the key benefits of Beta Glucan is that it thought to help boost the immune system.
Does maitake mushroom contain beta-1 glucan?
Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) MD-fraction containing beta-1,6 glucan with beta-1,3 branched chains has previously exhibited strong anticancer activity by increasing immune-competent cell activity.1,2 In this non-random case series, a combination of MD-fraction and whole maitake powder was inve ….
We previously found that a beta-glucan extract from maitake mushroom Grifola frondosa (MBG) enhanced colony forming unit-granulocyte monocyte (CFU-GM) activity of mouse bone marrow and human hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC), stimulated G-CSF production and spared HPC from doxorubicin toxicity in vitro.
Does maitake beta-glucan MD-fraction enhance bone marrow colony formation in doxorubicin toxicity?
Lin H, She YH, Cassileth BR, Sirotnak F, Cunningham Rundles S. Maitake beta-glucan MD-fraction enhances bone marrow colony formation and reduces doxorubicin toxicity in vitro .
Induction of apoptosis in human prostatic cancer cells with beta-glucan (Maitake mushroom polysaccharide) A bioactive beta-glucan from the Maitake mushroom has a cytotoxic effect , presumably through oxidative stress, on prostatic cancer cells in vitro, leading to apoptosis.